


Chasm

by phandomoftheowl



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Angst, M/M, Romance, Spoilers for manga
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-26
Updated: 2012-10-26
Packaged: 2017-11-17 02:21:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/546581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phandomoftheowl/pseuds/phandomoftheowl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daiki stands in front of the glass window, staring at the combination for Tetsu’s favorite drink. A small part of him calls him stupid repeatedly. As if anything between Tetsu and himself will change just because he buys him a drink. Still, it can’t hurt, the other part says. The part that wants nothing more than to apologize to Tetsu over and over again, even though he knows no words will ever be enough for the chasm Daiki created.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chasm

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place during chapters 109 and 110. This was inspired by [this post](http://spookyready-kurokocchi.tumblr.com/post/34289532521/nefimine-kittiethunder-this-scene-o-m-f) on Tumblr. The tags underneath it inspired me a lot. Because this ship (Aokuro) gives me so many feels all the damn time.

Daiki passes by the hot spring, ignoring Ryou when he asks where Aomine is going since the team is headed the other way, but he has no interest in the water. He’s here for a reason, and if Daiki remembers anything at all about Tetsu, it is that the man can’t stand hot water for long amounts of time. He’s probably inside already, cooling down. 

There is a vending machine on the way to the changing rooms; he stops when he sees pocari in the vending machine. 

Daiki stands in front of the glass window, staring at the combination for Tetsu’s favorite drink. A small part of him calls him stupid repeatedly. As if anything between Tetsu and himself will change just because he buys him a drink. Still, it can’t hurt, the other part says. The part that wants nothing more than to apologize to Tetsu over and over again, even though he knows no words will ever be enough for the chasm Daiki created. 

Every step makes his heart race a little more, makes his palms sweat, and his head spin. He hasn’t seen Tetsu off the basketball court since before their final match in Teiko, and without the comfort of the court and the bounce of a basketball, Daiki feels out of his element.

“Relax,” he murmurs to himself. “It’s just Tetsu.”

He’s right outside the door when he hears Kagami ask Tetsu what drink he prefers and feels smug satisfaction coil down his spine. Kuroko may have replaced him with that idiot Kagami, but he doesn’t know Tetsu very well.

He watches from the shadows as Kagami leaves to fetch a pocari, and then slides into the room. 

No amount of pep talk prepares him for the sight Tetsu makes, lying there on the bed with a towel thrown over his eyes. It takes him back to the days after a particularly hard match, how Tetsu would lie on the bench in the changing rooms, waiting for Aomine to come and cover his forehead with his hand because it soothed him. And Daiki would never admit it, but he loved how grounded he felt whenever he was allowed to touch Tetsu like that. It became something of a ritual, and everyone knew not to wait for them to change until they were both ready. Akashi was usually the last to leave, quietly reminding them not to catch a cold. It’s one of the many things he misses about their friendship. 

“Here.” Daiki sets the drink down by Tetsu’s head, careful not to look at him. He goes and stares at the vending machine if only because he isn’t quite prepared to look his best friend in the eye again. 

“Thank you so mu...” Tetsu's voice trails off just as the machine spits out Daiki's drink. 

"It's been a while, Tetsu." And finally, finally he finds the courage to look at him, sees the shock and confusion in his wide blue eyes as he says "Aomine-kun" in that flat, toneless voice. 

He takes a sip and mentally grimaces at the sharp, tangy taste; it is what he gets for blindly pressing buttons. “I saw the match,” Daiki says eventually when it becomes apparent that the other man plans on remaining silent. 

Kuroko’s patience has always been one of the many things that rubbed Daiki the wrong way. They were too dissimilar. Daiki: too proud, too arrogant, too reckless, and Kuroko, who was gentle and kind and patient and above all, a fighter. It was a miracle they got along on the court long enough to be absolutely breathtaking, or so Satsuki used to say. 

“So that’s your new skill. Satsuki’s been talking about it.”

Kuroko stares at him then with a cold, hard look in his eyes that turn’s Daiki’s heart inside out. “Yes, it’s for fighting against Aomine-kun.”

Well then, if that’s how it is going to be. He scoffs. “Sorry, but it ain’t gonna work. The team that is gonna win the winter cup is --”

“US!”

Daiki almost jumps out of his skin at the sudden shout, but years of being around Tetsu keep him calm, at least from the outside. He slap’s Kagami’s hand away, displeased. “Don’t you dare put your hand around my shoulder.”

“Why the heck are you here?” Kagami glares at him, and Daiki is so busy hating him that he misses the bit about payback. 

Hating Kagami is good, easy. It’s a nice contrast to the swirl of emotions Daiki feels anytime he’s around Kuroko. Kagami and he don’t have history. Daiki doesn’t want to apologize to Kagami, doesn’t want to beg Kagami to give him another chance. He doesn’t wish for Kagami to look at him the way Kuroko used to -- the way Kuroko looks at Kagami now. All Daiki wants from Kagami is the same contempt he holds for himself, because he had everything Kagami has now, and he threw it all away. It is _his_ fault. Kuroko is too kind to hate Aomine the way he deserves, but Kuroko’s new partner has no such qualms. Daiki appreciates him for that, even as he loathes him. 

“Kagami-kun.” Tetsu’s voice is like a jolt of icy water extinguishing the raging fire in Aomine’s heart.

He moves away from Kagami -- from Kuroko so that he and Kagami are on one side of the room and Daiki on the other. The chasm expands. “‘The team that’s gonna win is us.’ Huh. Not enough. More. Looks like you actually did open the gate, but you’re still lingering at the start line. You’re not even close to the ‘Generation of Miracles’ yet. You’re barely entertainment at this stage.” Daiki takes a moment to enjoy the look of confusion of Kagami’s face before announcing, “Your first Winter Cup opponent is _us_.”

To Daiki’s surprise, Tetsu’s expression goes from shocked to amused. It’s not a look he’s seen directed at him in a while, that willful defiance mixed in with playful sportsmanship. “Sorry Kagami-kun,” he says, never once taking his eyes off Daiki. “To be honest, I just thought _yes_ when I heard your words.”

Kagami chuckles. “What are you saying, dumbass? No one believed we would win easily from the beginning. We were going to fight them at some point. There’s nothing bad about repaying our debt quickly.” The metal of the can crunches in Kagami’s fist. 

Daiki understands the unspoken _we will crush you_. He feels a flare of excitement he’d thought was dead to him, and just for a moment Daiki is happy Tetsu has someone like Kagami now. 

“Alright. Bring it on.”


End file.
